Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed.
34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that
country.
34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that
land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with
her, ravishing the virgin.
34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he
comforted her with sweet words.
34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to
wife.
34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed
in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.
34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to
Jacob,
34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed,
they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel,
and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob's daughter.
34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing
for your daughter: give her him to wife:
34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your
daughters, and take you our daughters.
34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and
possess it.
34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find
favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:
34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you
shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.
34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully,
being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:
Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a
grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of
revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was
commendable.
34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is
uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable.
34:15. But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us,
and all the male sex among you be circumcised:
34:16. Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and
we will dwell with you, and will be one people:
34:17. But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and
depart.
34:18. Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem, his son:
34:19. And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was
required: for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest
man in all his father's house.
34:20. And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:
34:21. These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let
them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth
men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will
give them ours.
34:22. One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must
circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.
34:23. And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall
be ours; only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we
shall make one people.
34:24. And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.
34:25. And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was
greatest: two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of
Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city and slew all the
men.
34:26. And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister
Dina out of Sichem's house.
34:27. And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon
the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.
34:28. And they took their sheep, and their herds, and their asses,
wasting all they had in their houses and in their fields.
34:29. And their children and wives they took captive.
34:30. And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to
Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the
Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few:
they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my
house shall be destroyed.
34:31. They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?